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Fusion energy: Progress, partnerships, and the path to deployment
Over the past decade, fusion energy has moved decisively from scientific aspiration toward a credible pathway to a new energy technology. Thanks to long-term federal support, we have significantly advanced our fundamental understanding of plasma physics—the behavior of the superheated gases at the heart of fusion devices. This knowledge will enable the creation and control of fusion fuel under conditions required for future power plants. Our progress is exemplified by breakthroughs at the National Ignition Facility and the Joint European Torus.
D. D. Ryutov, Y. C. F. Thio
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 49 | Number 1 | January 2006 | Pages 39-55
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/FST06-A1084
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
One of the challenging problems of magnetized target fusion (MTF) is developing ways to transport energy to the target situated at a distance far enough from the energy source so as to prevent damage to the permanent parts of the source. Several schemes were considered in the past, including the use of particle beams coupled with the inverse diode, mechanical projectiles in combination with magnetocompressional generators, and the plasma liner. In this paper, a possible modification of the original concept of the plasma liner (by Thio et al.) is described. The modification consists of creating a thin, higher-density shell made of a high-Z plasma and accelerating it onto an MTF target by the thermal pressure of hydrogen plasma with a temperature of ~10 eV. We discuss constraints on the parameters of this system and evaluate the convergence ratio that can be expected.